1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus such as a facsimile machine, and more particularly to an image communication apparatus capable of communicating color information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, facsimile machines are designed to transmit monochrome information. In a facsimile system supporting transmissions of monochrome information, a receiver notifies a transmitter of which size images, A4, B4, or A3, is receivable, and the transmitter notifies the receiver of which document size is being transmitted to the receiver, more specifically, which document size images, A4, B4, or A3, is being transmitted.
Under the ITU-T recommendations, however, color transmissions larger than A4 size have not been supported.
Therefore, if a transmission with color information of B4 size is selected, the document information is reduced from B4 size to A4 size before being transmitted if the intended receiver has the capability to receive color data, or if bit values 68 and 69 in FIF (facsimile information field) of DIS (digital identification signal) indicate “JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) data receivable” and “full-color data receivable,” respectively.
Therefore, a problem is that the color information would be reduced from B4 size to A4 size and then transmitted if the intended receiver has the capability to receive color information of B4 size.